Located at the borderline of an industrial district, one would think Markus Prime Ribs Society…read morewould make a poor date spot. One would be terribly wrong. Indeed maslak industrial district is becoming home to many new and chic restaurants. Markus is one of the first to open up shop there. We went there for Valentines day (I know, sounds odd right?). The restaurant has large shared tables and bistros. We were only able to make reservations for the shared table and despite our doubts it didn't not feel crammed. Quite the contrary, it was both romantic and convivial thanks to the people around us. Our experience with the service was exceptional from the first phone call to the last plate served. Attentive with genuine smiles and great recommendations. We ordered celery and fries (which were strongly recommended) and they did not disappoint. Especially the fries. We didn't not try the poutine as we thought it would be too hearty, but we were told it's their house special. For mains we had short lamb and beef ribs and unless you don't like lamb, you should absolutely try both! They were exceptional. Same if not better than the ones we had in the US. My only note is that the purée that comes with the beef ribs was a bit too heavy. Markus offers a very warm ambiance. There was live music that was in good harmony with the restaurant's decor. All in all it was a surprisingly pleasant experience. The price is reasonable. We paid about 350-400 TL for two (including 1 beer). Do make sure to make reservations. You can take a taxi to go there if you don't want to walk from the the itu-ayazaga metro station. We can't wait to return for more ribs!

First meal upon arriving to Istanbul. Very trendy, aesthetic restaurant. Designed to look like an…read moreoutdoor patio but is covered (might be able to open up though). Known for their grilled meats, which you can see cooking over the grill through a window peering into the kitchen. Arrived as party of 6 with reservations ahead of time. Local Turkish friends ordered for us so I don't know the exact price point of everything but it's definitely a bit more on the pricier side due to being in a nice neighborhood and its aesthetic. Ordered bottles of wine and a couple people ordered cocktails, which I saw were about $20 USD. Started with mezze, which is brought out to you on a tray. You can select which ones you want. Tzatziki was very fresh and a nice way to balance richer flavors of other dishes like the meat. "Turkish pizza" is a must and comes on a very thin dough that's covered in meat and herbs that you roll up. Kebabs are a necessity and feature a smokey deep flavor due to being cooked over open flame. Cool, hip restaurant that's fun for a "fancier" night out with friends.

DO NOT GO HERE!!…read more Extremely expensive for no apparent reason. The crowd is full of people wanting to show off they can get screwed for paying obnoxious...